Poultry and Egg Production
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Poultry farmers and industry representatives joined Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell at the Fall Market event at Hayden Farms in Daviess County Sept. 22 to sign a proclamation declaring September Poultry Month in Kentucky.
Turkeys are normally the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinners, but this year one turkey at Elmwood Stock Farm received a reprieve. Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles pardoned the tom on Wednesday at the Georgetown farm.
Although cases of the most recent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak are declining, University of Kentucky poultry specialists urge flock owners to remain vigilant. While HPAI was once a rare occurrence, poultry producers have had to deal with it more frequently in recent years.
In honor of National Agriculture Week, local McDonald’s franchisees, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles, and local suppliers gathered Wednesday at a Frankfort McDonald’s restaurant to recognize the quality Kentucky ingredients that end up on McDonald’s menu.
The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment created an online training program aimed at educating general-practice veterinarians on small and backyard poultry flock challenges.
Backyard chicken flocks are popular in urban and suburban communities throughout the country. Most owners raise them for eggs, meat, controlling pests and sometimes, just as pets. Preparation is essential for a thriving backyard flock. The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is leading a series of webinars throughout the coming year on various aspects of raising backyard poultry.
Federal and state authorities say a case of avian influenza has been detected in a backyard flock of mixed-species birds in Fayette County.
Federal and state authorities have released two Western Kentucky poultry sites from quarantine restrictions after tests reveal both premises are now clear of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. Both sites had been under quarantine restrictions since February.
Broiler production is lowered on lower slaughter to date and a slower-than-expected recovery in hatchability, says USDA’s March World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report.
Safeguarding animal health is paramount to any country’s economy and food supply. Livestock with a clean health status is the most important requirement a country must have to be competitive in the international market.